Double entry-multivariable accounting for reconciliation of bank trust accounts

Abstract

Methods and systems for multivariable reconciliation of trust accounts are disclosed. The methods and systems can include acquiring transaction data for transactions in one or more trust accounts including a plurality of extrinsic variables. A plurality of variable ledgers can be produced from the transaction data and the extrinsic variables, including an account transaction ledger, a customer transaction ledger, and a job transaction ledger. The plurality of variable ledgers can then be reconciled internally and amongst the other variable ledgers. The reconciled overlapping data between the account transaction ledger, the customer transaction ledger, and the job transaction ledger, can then be incorporated to produce a multivariable ledger, which can be presented to or analyzed by an operator through an input device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A multivariable accounting system, comprising:
 one or more processors; and 
 a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors for storing computer instructions and a plurality of transaction records, each transaction record including a first variable and a second variable, the one or more processors configured to execute the computer instructions to form an acquisition module, a reconciliation module, and an association module, 
 wherein the acquisition module is configured to:
 acquire transaction data for a plurality of transactions and store the transaction data in a corresponding transaction record in the memory, each transaction including an entry in a primary account and a corresponding entry in a secondary account, a value in the first variable and a value in the second variable, and 
 produce a plurality of variable ledgers associated with the primary and secondary accounts, each variable ledgers comprising a portion of the transaction data affecting an account balance of the primary account and/or the secondary account as a function of the value in at least one of the first and second variables, 
 
 wherein the reconciliation module is configured to reconcile the account balances of the primary account and/or secondary account in each of the variable ledges, and 
 wherein the association module is configured to:
 reconcile overlapping data between the variable ledgers, wherein the reconciliation of the overlapping data, 
 producing a multivariable ledge as a function of the overlapping data, 
 receiving input from an operator related to desired extrinsic parameters, and 
 present an output of the multivariable ledger as a function of the desired extrinsic parameters to the operator. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The multivariable accounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of variable ledgers comprise at least one of an account transaction ledger comprising the portion of the transaction data affecting a selected account balance of the one or more trust account balances, a customer transaction ledger comprising the portion of the transaction data related to a selected customer of the one or more customers, and a job transaction ledger comprising the portion of the transaction data involving performance of a selected offering of the one or more offerings. 
     
     
       3. The multivariable accounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the multivariable ledger further comprises an attorney transaction ledger, an operator transaction ledger, a payor transaction ledger, a payee transaction ledger, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       4. The multivariable accounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the output is an interactive pie graph, wherein the operator can select one or more visual elements to review a transaction entry from the multivariable ledger in light of one or more extrinsic variables. 
     
     
       5. The multivariable accounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the acquisition module further comprises instructions to acquire transaction data through a network from a financial institution. 
     
     
       6. The multivariable accounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the output is a report indicating one or more transaction entries as associated with each of the variable ledgers. 
     
     
       7. The multivariable accounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to interact with an input device associated with the operator. 
     
     
       8. The multivariable accounting system of  claim 7 , wherein the acquisition module is configured to allow the operator to enter the transaction data on the input device. 
     
     
       9. The multivariable accounting system of  claim 7 , wherein the association module is configured to present the output of the multivariable ledge to the operator on the input device. 
     
     
       10. The multivariable accounting system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second variables are selected from one of lawyer, user, customer, job, and account. 
     
     
       11. The multivariable accounting system of  claim 7 , wherein the output of the multivariable ledge is one of a profit and loss report, a balance sheet report, a job balance summary report, a 3-way reconciliation report, a bank account ledger report, a customer disclosure statement report, an aging report, a user rank report, and a job rank report. 
     
     
       12. The multivariable accounting system of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of multivariable ledges includes at least one of a lawyer/account ledger, a customer/account ledger. 
     
     
       13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to form an acquisition module, a reconciliation module, and an association module,
 wherein the acquisition module is configured to:
 acquire transaction data for a plurality of transactions and store the transaction data in a corresponding transaction record in the memory, each transaction including an entry in a primary account and a corresponding entry in a secondary account, a value in the first variable and a value in the second variable, and 
 produce a plurality of variable ledgers associated with the primary and secondary accounts, each variable ledgers comprising a portion of the transaction data affecting an account balance of the primary account and/or the secondary account as a function of the value in at least one of the first and second variables, 
 wherein the reconciliation module is configured to reconcile the account balances of the primary account and/or secondary account in each of the variable ledges, and 
 
 wherein the association module is configured to:
 reconcile overlapping data between the variable ledgers, wherein the reconciliation of the overlapping data, 
 producing a multivariable ledge as a function of the overlapping data, 
 receiving input from an operator related to desired extrinsic parameters, and 
 present an output of the multivariable ledger as a function of the desired extrinsic parameters to the operator. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of variable ledgers comprise at least one of an account transaction ledger comprising the portion of the transaction data affecting a selected account balance of the one or more trust account balances, a customer transaction ledger comprising the portion of the transaction data related to a selected customer of the one or more customers, and a job transaction ledger comprising the portion of the transaction data involving performance of a selected offering of the one or more offerings. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the multivariable ledger further comprises an attorney transaction ledger, an operator transaction ledger, a payor transaction ledger, a payee transaction ledger, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the output is an interactive pie graph, wherein the operator can select one or more visual elements to review a transaction entry from the multivariable ledger in light of one or more extrinsic variables. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the acquisition module further comprises instructions to acquire transaction data through a network from a financial institution. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the output is a report indicating one or more transaction entries as associated with each of the variable ledgers. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to interact with an input device associated with the operator. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the acquisition module is configured to allow the operator to enter the transaction data on the input device. 
     
     
       21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the association module is configured to present the output of the multivariable ledge to the operator on the input device. 
     
     
       22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first and second variables are selected from one of lawyer, user, customer, job, and account. 
     
     
       23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 22 , wherein the output of the multivariable ledge is one of a profit and loss report, a balance sheet report, a job balance summary report, a 3-way reconciliation report, a bank account ledger report, a customer disclosure statement report, an aging report, a user rank report, and a job rank report. 
     
     
       24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of multivariable ledges includes at least one of a lawyer/account ledger, a customer/account ledger, a job/account ledger, and a lawyer/customer/job/account ledger. 
     
     
       25. A computer-based method for implementing a multivariable accounting system on a computing system, the computing system including one or more processors and a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors for storing computer instructions and a plurality of transaction records, each transaction record including a first variable and a second variable, the one or more processors configured to execute the computer instructions to form an acquisition module, a reconciliation module, and an association module, the method including the steps of:
 acquiring, by the acquisition module, transaction data for a plurality of transactions and storing the transaction data in a corresponding transaction record in the memory, each transaction including an entry in a primary account and a corresponding entry in a secondary account, a value in the first variable and a value in the second variable; 
 producing, by the acquisition module, a plurality of variable ledgers associated with the primary and secondary accounts, each variable ledgers comprising a portion of the transaction data affecting an account balance of the primary account and/or the secondary account as a function of the value in at least one of the first and second variables; 
 reconciling, by the reconciliation module, the account balances of the primary account and/or secondary account in each of the variable ledges; 
 reconciling, by the association module, overlapping data between the variable ledgers, wherein the reconciliation of the overlapping data; 
 producing, by the association module, a multivariable ledge as a function of the overlapping data; 
 receiving, by the association module, input from an operator related to desired extrinsic parameters, and 
 presenting an output of the multivariable ledger as a function of the desired extrinsic parameters to the operator. 
 
     
     
       26. The computer based method of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of variable ledgers comprise at least one of an account transaction ledger comprising the portion of the transaction data affecting a selected account balance of the one or more trust account balances, a customer transaction ledger comprising the portion of the transaction data related to a selected customer of the one or more customers, and a job transaction ledger comprising the portion of the transaction data involving performance of a selected offering of the one or more offerings. 
     
     
       27. The computer-based method of  claim 25 , wherein the multivariable ledger further comprises an attorney transaction ledger, an operator transaction ledger, a payor transaction ledger, a payee transaction ledger, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       28. The computer-based method of  claim 25 , wherein the output is an interactive pie graph, wherein the operator can select one or more visual elements to review a transaction entry from the multivariable ledger in light of one or more extrinsic variables. 
     
     
       29. The computer-based method of  claim 25 , wherein the acquisition module further comprises instructions to acquire transaction data through a network from a financial institution. 
     
     
       30. The computer-based method of  claim 25 , wherein the output is a report indicating one or more transaction entries as associated with each of the variable ledgers. 
     
     
       31. The computer-based method of  claim 25 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to interact with an input device associated with the operator. 
     
     
       32. The computer-based method of  claim 31 , wherein the acquisition module is configured to allow the operator to enter the transaction data on the input device. 
     
     
       33. The computer-based method of  claim 31 , wherein the association module is configured to present the output of the multivariable ledge to the operator on the input device. 
     
     
       34. The computer-based method of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the first and second variables are selected from one of lawyer, user, customer, job, and account. 
     
     
       35. The computer-based method of  claim 34 , wherein the output of the multivariable ledge is one of a profit and loss report, a balance sheet report, a job balance summary report, a 3-way reconciliation report, a bank account ledger report, a customer disclosure statement report, an aging report, a user rank report, and a job rank report. 
     
     
       36. The computer-based method of  claim 34 , wherein the plurality of multivariable ledges includes at least one of a lawyer/account ledger, a customer/account ledger, a job/account ledger, and a lawyer/customer/job/account ledger.